Cashless society

Fiona Twycross: London is moving further towards being a cashless society and using cash in transactions has halved over the past ten years. What impact will this have on Londoners, particularly vulnerable Londoners such as those in debt, poverty or abusive relationships?

The Mayor: There are many things that need to change to make London and the UK a more financially inclusive society especially as technology changes the way we manage our money. Some of these are outside of my direct control, such as the way financial service providers are regulated and the way debt, money and pension advice services are commissioned by the government and its agencies.
Further research is needed on the impact of a cashless society on vulnerable Londoners. Nevertheless, I am committed to working with partners to help better understand and address the key causes of financial exclusion, which I have reiterated in my recently published Economic Development Strategy. The action I am taking includes launching my Good Work Standard, which will promote the uptake of payroll-deducted loans and membership of credit unions, and in November last year my deputy Mayor Joanne McCartney hosted a summit to identify how City Hall can best support partners to improve the financial health and education of young Londoners in partnership with Money Advice Service and Young Enterprise.

Gender Pay Gap

Joanne McCartney: I was pleased to see that last year the gender pay gap at City Hall fell from 6.14 per cent to 4.82 per cent as a result of your leadership on this issue. What more are you doing to ensure this gap is eliminated and that all parts of the GLA family are following best practice?

The Mayor: As Mayor, I am determined to do everything in my power to address the gender pay gap that has existed unchallenged and hidden away for far too long.
That is why I have asked the GLA bodies to publish action plans alongside their gender pay gap analysis. Delivery of these plans is central to closing and ultimately eliminating the gender pay gap in the GLA family. The plans reflect the good practice outlined in the Diversity and Inclusion Action Standard – a tool developed by the GLA family and external diversity experts to raise the bar on workforce diversity. Measures to help close the pay gap include providing fair and equal opportunities for development and progression and creating and increasing flexible working options and other family friendly benefits.
Links to the gender pay gap action plans for the GLA group can be found here on the GLA website.
I have also introduced Our Time – a sponsorship programme that pairs talented women with champions at a senior management level. This has been adopted throughout the GLA family and is the largest scheme of its kind in the public sector. The GLA family is currently on cohort one of this new programme with more cohorts in train.
I want to encourage all industries across the capital to commit to addressing the shocking imbalance we still see in positions of power today. That is why I have published an Our Time toolkit so it is even easier for employers across the city to implement this programme.

F1

Andrew Dismore: In July, you said you were interested in the capital hosting F1 and a spokesperson confirmed this position, saying: "The mayor believes it should be possible to organise a race in London and has asked his team to explore options with F1." What discussions have you had with F1 management about this, and with what outcome?

The Mayor: As I have said before, I believe that it should be possible to organise a race in London in the future and that a London Grand Prix could bring huge economic benefits to our city. I have asked my officials to explore what the options might be with F1. These discussions are in an early stage and work needs to be done to assess both the feasibility and benefits of a race in London.

Cost of Brexit to London

Jennette Arnold: To date how much do you estimate Brexit has cost London already, in Brexit planning, in loss of businesses and EU agencies previously in London and other associated costs?

The Mayor: No such estimate exists. According to the Bank of England, preparation for Brexit has already had adverse consequences for the UK economy, pushing inflation above target while uncertainty has depressed investment and productivity growth.
Looking forward, the independent economic study I published last year predicted that leaving the single market and customs union would damage jobs, growth and livelihoods in London and the UK. These predictions have since been supported by the Government’s own forecasts.

Government Funding to London for Brexit

Jennette Arnold: How much extra funding has the government provided you specifically to address the impact of Brexit on London?

The Mayor: There has been no extra funding provided by the Government to specifically address the impact of Brexit on London.

Parliamentary Indecision and Brexit

Jennette Arnold: How long can London afford to maintain essential services whilst it waits for Parliament to come to some agreement on Brexit?

The Mayor: London’s essential services will continue, regardless of Brexit. But with parliament seemingly deadlocked, and a no-deal Brexit looming by default with its devastating consequences on jobs, growth, public safety, food supply and living standards; there is only one sensible course of action. The Government must immediately withdraw Article 50 to provide the breathing space to decide how we resolve this mess.

New Years’ Fireworks Display (1)

Peter Whittle: To ask the Mayor what was the total cost of the New Years’ Fireworks display held on the South Bank in the early hours of 1st January 2019?

The Mayor: London’s spectacular New Year’s Eve fireworks is the largest annual display in Europe. It is enjoyed by over 100,000 spectators at the event, over 11 million people on TV in the UK, and is beamed out across the world - rightly promoting London on the world stage.
The total budget for the 2018 fireworks is £2.3 million. This is the same as 2017 and in line with the budget spent in previous years and by the previous Mayor on the London New Year’s fireworks. On top of this £2.3 million, the £800,000 raised from ticket sales is spent on infrastructure for the event.
The fireworks help to attract millions of visitors to London each New Year’s Eve, providing income for our businesses, tourist attractions and hotels.

New Years’ Fireworks Display (2)

Peter Whittle: I note that on New Years’ Eve, you used the capital’s official celebration of the New Year to transform the London Eye into a version of the EU flag, its big wheel bathed in blue and its pods lit in yellow. Why would anyone want to usher in the New Year by celebrating, what is, in my view, a corrupt, failing, autocracy, which we are in the process of leaving?

The Mayor: London is the greatest city in the world. One of the reasons for this is the contribution made by Europeans who have made this city their home.
The fireworks were part of the #LondonIsOpen campaign. At this important moment in our history, they showed the world that London is proud to be a global, European city and sent a clear message to the more than one million EU citizens living in London that our city is going to continue being open-minded, outward looking and pluralistic. This message has never been more important, as many of these EU Londoners are feeling particularly vulnerable as we approach Brexit.
This isn’t the first time we have themed the fireworks to convey London’s values of diversity and inclusion. In 2017 the fireworks were themed around women’s equality to kick off the Behind Every Great City Campaign. They featured a women-only soundtrack and a projection of the Venus symbol on the shell building.

Brexit

David Kurten: Now that it seems more and more likely that we will exit the EU with no deal, how much of the £39bn that will be saved will the mayor be requesting the government allocate to London?

The Mayor: These are typical Brexiteer fantasy figures.
Europe is our biggest trading partner. In the event of a no-deal Brexit, informed commentators agree that withholding money that the UK Government has already agreed it owes the European Union in respect of previous and ongoing obligations would not be credible; and the economic harm created would be considerable- both in the short and long term.
Withdrawing Article 50 immediately is therefore the only sensible option left - to give the breathing space the country needs to sort out the mess the Prime Minister has created.

Good Work Standard

Susan Hall: Can you update us on when the Good Work Standard will be published? In what ways do you expect this to change the behaviour of employers in London?

The Mayor: A preview event for the Good Work Standard was held on the 16th January. Over 100 representatives from business, public bodies and voluntary and community organisations participated, with explanations of the process, structure, and a demonstration of the prototype online tool.
The Good Work Standard has been developed through extensive consultation with London’s employers, professional bodies and a range of experts and we are now ready to test the Standard with stakeholders to make sure that it is effective in supporting and encouraging London’s employers to adopt better and fairer employment practices, ahead of a full launch in Spring.
The Good Work Standard recognises and promotes excellent practice in fair pay and conditions, wellbeing in the workplace, skills and professional development, diversity and inclusion, It is a benchmark that every London employer can to work towards and achieve. The Good Work Standard resources will support businesses to explore and implement best practice, signposting them to a range of help and support, and build an active community of participating employers to support the ongoing development and promotion of the Standard.

Overseas Visits

Susan Hall: Can you provide a list of everyone who accompanied the Mayor on his overseas trips since March 2018, broken down by visit, and in which capacity they accompanied him?

The Mayor: As Mayor of London, I have a statutory responsibility to champion London in the UK and abroad, encouraging industry and investment. On each of the below trips I was banging the drum for London, making the case that despite Brexit London remains open to business, investment and talent.
On 10 – 12 March 2018 I attended South By South West technology festival in Austin, Texas. I was accompanied by: Leah Kreitzman, Mayoral Director for External and International Affairs (Advisor to the Mayor); Sarah Brown, Senior Adviser Communications (media management); Simon Rees, Principal International Relations Officer (logistics and operational support).
On 26 October 2018 I visited Brussels and was accompanied by: Leah Kreitzman, Mayoral Director for External and International Affairs; Sarah Brown, Senior Adviser Communications; Simon Rees, Principal International Relations Officer. Ian Catlow, Brussels based Head of London’s European Office, also joined me at the meetings.
On 11 – 13 November 2018 I visited Berlin and Paris and was accompanied by: Leah Kreitzman, Mayoral Director for External and International Affairs; Ali Picton, Head of Mayor’s Private Office; Sarah Brown, Senior Adviser Communications; Dominic Hurley, Head of International Relations (Berlin only); Simon Rees, Principal International Relations Officer (Paris only).
On 6 December 2018 I visited Dublin and was accompanied by: Leah Kreitzman, Mayoral Director for External and International Affairs; Sarah Brown, Senior Adviser Communications; Dominic Hurley, Head of International Relations.